It’s not quite the beginning of the week, so there’s no need to be overly serious and fun-avoiding. It’s not quite the weekend, so you don’t have anything already planned. So, spend your Wednesday evening with myself, Sly Fox, and Dogfish Head at the Kite & Key on 18th & Callowhill. I’ll be representing Whole Foods Callowhill’s cheese department along with a fellow cheesemonger as we pair our personal cheese selections with the brews of Sly Fox and Dogfish Head – two of my local favorites. The event is going to start at 6pm, and our cheese offerings are free! Sly Fox and Dogfish brews are going to be served up in 10 oz. pours for special rates.

From Dogfish, there will be the Indian Brown Ale, Red & White and two super special rarities: the 75 Minute IPA and a “Randallized” Midas Touch. Sly Fox will offer Saison Vos, Ichor (a Belgian-style quad), Dunkel Lager, and Odyssey (an imperial IPA).

As soon as I’m off the clock, I’ll be indulging in my 30th Dogfish variety – the 75 Minute IPA which is a special blend of the 60 and 90 Minute IPAs. I’ll also be jumping at the opportunity to sample the aforementioned Randallized offering. That refers to a brew that’s passed through a special tap designed by the folks at Dogfish, known as “Randall the Enamel Animal.” The original idea was to create a chamber that would allow fresh draft beer to pass through a healthy quantity of whole-leaf hops. The alcohol from the beer would then leech aromatic oils from the leaves and make already hoppy brews, like the 90 Minute IPA, even hoppier. The most recent Randall version allows for the use of any flavor-enhancing ingredient the operator desires. On Wednesday, the Kite & Key will be pouring Midas Touch through brandy-macerated pears. We’ll be “pearing” a special cheese for this serious brew: Rogue Creamery’s River Blue wrapped in pear brandy-macerated grape leaves. We haven’t tested out this combination yet, but we’re sure it’s going to be unbelievable.

I’m eagerly counting the minutes until 6pm Wednesday. You’ll be sure to learn a ton about pairing cheese and beer. And, if cheese isn’t your thing, the beer offerings alone will be worth checking out.